WORTH THE WAIT SIMON LÄNGENFELDER
MONSTER GIRLS
080 HALL OF FAME
MXGP MAG
Chief Editor: Marionna Leiva Photos: MXGP
INFRONT MOTO RACING MEDIA
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MXGP Mag #144 2025
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Then content of this publication is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time the articles were written.
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GIRLS
IT IS A MONTH OF CELEBRATION. WE JUST STARTED IT LAST WEEKEND WITH THE ANNUAL FIM AWARDS, WHERE ALL THE WORLD MOTORCYCLE CHAMPIONS WERE AWARDED DURING A WONDERFUL NIGHT OF FESTIVITY AT LAUSANNE.
The FIM also did the grand opening of the FIM Racing Motorcycling Museum (RMM) at the FIM Headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, where big legends of the two wheels, like Harry Everts, Giacomo Agostini or Sammy Miller, were inducted into the FIM Hall of Fame.
We used this occasion to invite our 2026 Organizers in Switzerland to attend our traditional seminar where we presented all the novelties of the upcoming year. The new venues could share their questions and their experience with the traditional ones, and this brought in the true spirit of our sport.
We had announced the latest update of the 2026 provisional calendar some days ago and we welcomed some new circuits to the MXGP family! The opening round in Argentina will welcome us back in Patagonia and the new venue in Spain will bring the MXGP to Andalusia! The British fans will see the comeback of Foxhills and the French will enjoy the pictural landscape of Lacapelle Marival.
I wish all the best to our champions for the last days of 2025 and to have a great preparation for what it will be for sure a very promising and exciting 2026 season.
I wish you a good read.
MXGP Rocks!
David Luongo CEO of Infront Moto Racing
COOL SHOTS
COOL SHOTS
COOL SHOTS
THEORETICALLY SPEAKING
AS WE PREPARE TO SAY ‘ADIOS’ TO WHAT WAS A MEMORABLE 2025 MXGP SEASON, 2026 IS LOOMING LARGE IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR, AND WHILST NEXT YEAR’S PROVISIONAL CALENDAR WAS RECENTLY REVISED WITH A COUPLE OF VENUES STILL TO BE CONFIRMED, HERE’S WHAT WE DO KNOW AS WE GO TO PRINT LESS THAN A MONTH BEFORE WE SEE IN THE NEW YEAR.
With no fewer than four triple-headers along the way, 2026 already has the makings of being one of the most demanding seasons yet.
ARGENTINA (1)
07 / 08 March
La Cascada circuit, Bariloche
2025 kicked off in Cordoba in fine style, where a brandnew venue was met with massive enthusiasm. After years of racing at Villa la Angostura in Patagonia, we didn’t really know what to expect in Cordoba, but what we got was a hyper-charged crowd and some fantastic racing on one of the best tracks we have seen in a long time.
In 2026, we head back to Patagonia, to another brandnew venue, this time in Bariloche and the circuit of La Cascada, where it looks like we will be spoilt with another great venue. ICYMI: Bariloche is the birthplace of motocross in South America.
ANDALUCIA (2)
21 / 22 March
Circuito de Motocross de Almonte, Almonte
After a one-week break MXGP returns to a brand-new venue in Andalucia, for the first stop on European soil. The Circuito de Motocross de Almonte is situated in southern Spain about an hour’s drive (90km) west of Seville and this sandy circuit is already the biggest surprise, given that most tracks in Spain are renowned
for being mostly hardpack. The south usually means good weather, but will it be warm enough to pack the sun cream? This will be the first time that Andalucia has played host to a round of MXGP.
Support classes: EMX125/EMX250
SWITZERLAND (3)
28 / 29 March
Frauenfeld
From Andalucia we head northeast to Switzerland where the 20 hour/2160km drive brings us to Frauenfeld, where you will be relieved to know that on this occasion the GP will not run over the easter bank holiday weekend. No more Saturday and Monday schedule on this occasion. This old school venue usually throws up some great racing, but that paddock though …!
Support classes: EMX125 / EMX250
SARDEGNA (4)
11/ 12 April
Crossodromo Comunale ‘Le Dune’ - Riola Sardo
The first real sand race brings us to the island of Sardegna off the south-west coast of Italy, a real gem of a location. The island itself is beautiful and the track is always a real physical challenge for the riders, or at least for those who are not considered specialists of
the soft stuff. If the weather plays ball – and it usually does – then this GP will once again be an enjoyable experience.
Support classes: EMX125 / EMX250
TRENTINO (5)
18 / 19 April
Crossodromo ‘il ciclamino’ - Pietramurata
It’s not the first time that these two GP’s have been held back-to-back on Italian soil, and it probably won’t be the last, and you might ask why though? Well, honestly, the two venues are so far apart – almost 1000km, and a 14-hour drive, including a ferry crossing – that you kind of get the best of both worlds. Those on the island welcome the GP in their territory, which means
they don’t have that long commute north to watch MXGP, thus saving a considerable amount of time and money in the process. And if there’s one thing that the islanders do, is support their own. As for Trentino, this place is steeped in history and has provided some of the best racing in recent years, and of course, we look forward to witnessing another epic in 2026 as well, in the shadows of the impressive Dolomite mountains.
Support classes: EMX125 / EMX250
TBA (6)
April 25 / 26
This GP marks the end of our first triple-header run of GP’s Support Classes: WMX / EMX125
TBA (7)
May 9 / 10
MXGP / MX2 only
FRANCE (8)
23 / 24 May
Circuit Georges Filhol - Lacapelle Marival
Two weeks later, we head to the south of France as we re-visit the circuit of Lacapelle Marival, which last hosted MXGP in 2021. Whilst the track is quite compact compared to a Saint Jean d’Angely or an Ernee, the atmosphere is still typically French, and if you have never visited the local area, then places like Rocamador (30 mins away) are a must-see. Expect the racing to be intense at this one, for what kicks off our second triple-header run of GP’s.
Support Classes: WMX / EMX125
GERMANY (9)
30 / 31 May
Talkessel Circuit - Teutschenthal
From the south of France, we head 14 hours/1360km northeast to Germany and the Talkessel Circuit in Teutschenthal for the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany. The circuit may have seen some changes in 2025, but it didn’t detract from the racing, which is always pretty intense at this venue.
Support Classes: WMX / EMX250
LATVIA (10)
6 / 7 June
Motocenter Zelta Zirgs - Kegums
Our journey through Europe continues northeast, and another 14-hour drive / 1370km brings us to Kegums in Latvia, as we prepare to build sand castles once again in the sands of Kegums. Whilst there might not be much to do in the immediate vicinity, the capital city of Riga about forty-five minutes away is a must-see. The track though is what it’s all about, and again, this is one of those venues where the racing is as intense, as it is unpredictable. Two triple-headers down, two to go.
Support classes: EMX125 / EMX250
ITALY (11)
20 / 21 June
Miravalle Circuit, Montevarchi
2026 sees a return to a couple of old-school venues, and for the MXGP of Italy we have the welcome addition of Montevarchi, which last hosted MXGP back in 2006, twenty-years ago. This hard-pack venue has continued to host Italian Championship races over the years, and has undergone many updates to bring it up to par for MXGP. It’s a good job we have one week off after Latvia, because the drive to Montevarchi is around twenty-three hours and some 2200km’s south. The closest city and airport will be Florence which is in the beautiful region of Tuscany, and with this being Italy, has a great deal to offer in terms of history, architecture, local cuisine and maybe even the cheeky Aperol.
Support classes: EMX250
PORTUGAL
(12)
27 / 28 June
Crossodromo Internacional di Agueda, Agueda
The biggest thing to note here is that for the first time in a long time, the Portuguese GP has shifted from its April / May slot to a date which should hopefully favour much kinder weather conditions. And rightly so, because the track, the region and the country are all so much better in the dry than in the wet. Will it be scorchio though? Bring the sun cream, just in case.
Support classes: EMX125 / EMX250
*JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
4 / 5 July
Jinin, Czech Republic
If you’re a fan of youth motocross and keen to know where the next generation of talent is coming from, if you have a free weekend then why not get yourself off to Czech Republic for the FIM Junior World Championship at Jinin, a former GP venue, which
last hosted a world championship grand prix in 1999. About an hour and a half south of Prague Airport (PRG) this hillside venue last hosted the JWC back in 2013 when Pauls Jonass was crowned 125cc Junior World Champion. If you can’t make it though, then be sure to catch the action LIVE on www.mxgp-tv.com
GREAT BRITAIN (13)
9 / 10 May
Foxhills Moto Park
A rare two-week break, gives us plenty of time to make the trip to the MXGP of Great Britain at Foxhills Moto Park. Paddock gossip has been rife for a while now about the location of the GP, and after a twenty-six-year hiatus, many have rightly asked, is the venue up to the challenge? Well, our sources report that a monumental
effort is going on behind the scenes to bring the circuit kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century, and for those who never witnessed this iconic venue in full-voice in the past, will hopefully get to witness it first hand in 2026. The track is situated around fifteen minutes to the east of Swindon.
Support Classes: WMX / EMX125
CZECH REPUBLIC (14)
25 / 26 July
Loketske Serpentiny circuit - Loket
Just one week later, and some 14 hours / 800km, we are back in Czech Republic at the Loketske Serpentiny circuit, a venue that has now hosted 28 GP’s since
1995. If you have never been to this part of the world then it is an absolute must, with Loket Castle the main attraction just a few kilometres from the track, along with Karlovy Vary, the famous spa town just fifteen minutes away. You will more than likely fly into Prague (PRG) which is another wonderful city, and with the rent-a-racer, you are a brisk one and a half hours drive from the track.
Support Classes: EMX65 / EMX85 / EMX2T
FLANDERS (15) (BELGIUM)
1 / 2 August
Lommel
When riders think of Flanders, they groan at the prospect of a GP at Lommel, the most notorious grand prix circuit in the world. The toughest sand track in the world. And in August, it could be the hottest, most physically demanding GP of the year. If you are a ‘sick minded’ individual who likes nothing more than to watch grown men suffer, then Lommel is a must see for you. Equally, if you want to see how the best riders in the world make the toughest conditions look easy, then this GP is a must see for you. Or, if you are just a massive fan of MXGP and live in central Europe, or don’t mind the three-hour drive from the Eurotunnel, then this GP is a must see for you too. Championships may be won or lost on this weekend, that’s how crucial this GP is in the fight to be world champion.
Three triple-headers done and dusted.
Support Classes: EMX250 / EMX Open
SWEDEN (16)
15 / 16 August
Glimminge Motorstadion, Uddevalla
One weekend off and we are back it, as MXGP moves to its most northerly circuit on the calendar, some fourteen hours north of Belgium. Last year Uddevalla was the most memorable GP of the season, thanks to one man: Isak Gifting. The Swedish Viking came so close to winning his first ever race in MXGP, which had all of us on the edge of our seats. About 1h20 north of Gothenburg, the Swedish GP is surrounded by beautiful lakes and countryside, so again, if you’ve never been to this part of the world, and want to see a real Viking putting on a real show for the crowd, then book your tickets now.
Support classes: EMX125 / EMX250
THE NETHERLANDS (17)
22 / 23 August
Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden, Arnhem
As soon as the chequered flag has fallen in Sweden, the MXGP circus will waste no time as it heads straight back to Holland for another thirteen-hour drive (1100km) and the MXGP of The Netherlands at Arnhem. The racing here never disappoints and 2025 was another memorable one for the books, and with the premier class stacked with Dutch talent in 2026, this GP could just be another one of those for the ages. Book now to avoid disappointment!
Support classes: WMX / EMX250
TURKIYE (18)
5 / 6 September
Afyon Motorsports Center, Afyon
Just like in 2025, the final three GP’s are all fly-away’s, commencing with the MXGP of Turkiye at Afyon. This GP doubles-up with Motor Fest, which has gained some serious momentum over the past few years and next year’s edition will be the biggest yet. If you’ve never seen Istanbul, then head out a few days earlier to see all that the city has to offer, before making the five-hour journey to Afyon. Alternatively, if it’s the beach you’re after, then Antalya on the south coast, is just three and a half hours from Afyon. And as for the town of Afyon itself, well, this place is awash with spa hotels, so plenty of time to indulge in some R&R.
Support classes: EMX125 / EMX250
CHINA
(19)
12 / 13 September
Shanghai
International Off-Road Circuit, Shanghai
From the four-hour flight to Turkey, we leave immediately to China and another ten-hour flight to Shanghai. By now we have seen two different timezones with Turkey being plus two hours CET and China being another plus five on CET. As if sleep deprivation isn’t enough, the next thing to hit you in China is the heat and the humidity, so staying out of the heat and maintaining hydration is a must. We had a new venue in 2025, which provided some great racing, and hopefully we will see more of the same again at the penultimate round of the series.
MXGP / MX2 only
AUSTRALIA (20)
19 / 20 September
Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex, Darwin
And then it happened. Somehow, we ended up at the final round of the season in Darwin, Australia. It’s not possible to fly directly from Shanghai to Darwin, so a flight via Singapore is one of the ways to get to our final GP destination of the year, which all-in-all, takes another ten to eleven hours. On top of that, we have another time zone which is a very bizarre two and a half hours ahead of China. Anyway, Darwin was brand new to MXGP in 2025 and the circuit, along with the fans did not disappoint. Shame the weather didn’t play ball
in the hottest part of Australia last time around because it really put a damper on what had been an epic race to that point. Romain Febvre, Simon Langenfelder and Lotte van Drunen were crowned World Champions on our last visit, but who will be leaving there as world champions in 2026?
Support Classes: WMX
MONSTER ENERGY FIM MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS
FRANCE
3 / 4 October
Circuit Raymond Demy, Ernee
The biggest race of the year returns to France and the circuit of Ernee for the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations. Track great, crowd great; event overall on a scale of one to ten? Absolute epicness and off the scale. Need we say any more? Not really. However, if you want some downtime after the event, be sure to head about an hour and a half north-west for some epic sightseeing. If you haven’t already seen it, then get yourself to Mont Saint-Michel. You will not be disappointed.
If you want to book tickets to any MXGP events in 2026, then go to www.mxgp.com for more info. The calendar will be on the home page where you will see the dates, venues and a link to tickets or VIP tickets. If you can’t make it to any of the races, then be sure to follow us on www.mxgp-tv.com
See you at the races.
MONSTER GIRLS
MONSTER GIRLS
BATTLE OF THE AGES
SUBSCRIBE
BATTLE OF THE AGES SUBSCRIBE
WORTH THE WAIT
SOMETIMES THE QUIET GUYS ARE THE STRONGEST IN THE ROOM. AMONGST A PACK OF WHIP-THROWING, WHEELIEHAPPY SHOWMEN, THE SMOOTH, CONSERVATIVE, CONSISTENT SIMON LÄNGENFELDER WOULD NOT OFTEN STAND OUT IN AN MX2 PRACTICE SESSION, UNTIL YOU CHECK THE LAP TIMES. AFTER THREE YEARS OF FINISHING THIRD IN THE MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, MANY WONDERED IF SIMON COULD MAKE THE JUMP TO CLAIM A GOLD MEDAL, WHILE THOSE WHO CHEER FOR THE QUIET UNDERDOG TRULY HOPED THAT HE COULD.
As would usually be the case for a rider born in eastern Germany, just half an hour from the Czech border, Simon is strongest on a slick, hardpack surface that rewards his meticulous precision. A cheerful character by nature, his ever-smiling demeanour disguises a deadly serious racer. Only the third rider in Motocross history to take a bronze medal for three years in a row, “Langers” has deservedly risen to the status of MX2 World Champion, grabbing that elusive first gold medal at the end of his sixth Grand Prix campaign.
Längenfelder had burst into prominence from relative obscurity with a stunning perfect day at Matterley Basin, the opening round of the 2022 MX2 World Championship, to record the first victory for the GASGAS brand in the class. Still two months from his 18th birthday, he had finished tenth in the 2021 series, his first full GP campaign after an interrupted debut season in 2020. His best in 2021 was sixth overall, at the British venue as well, so the 2022 opener was not only his first win but also his first career podium. Suddenly German Motocross fans had a new hero to cheer for.
Unable to repeat that podium success until three months later in Spain, it was clear that the youngster was not quite ready to be a title challenger. Three further podium results
on the hardpack of Indonesia, Czechia, and Sweden put him a solid third in the Championship however, and the likeable German had established himself as a contender to talk about for future seasons.
Although 2023 started a little slower in comparison, a race win at Trentino and 1-1 domination of round six in Spain put him towards the sharp end of the points, but a sudden training injury put him out of three GPs and that was that. He did recover to take his third career GP win, this time in Sweden, but a worrying trend emerged in the last four GPs of the year. He won his first GP race in sand at Arnhem, the first of the day, but was unable to bring home the GP win as he faded in race two. This story repeated itself in Türkiye, Italy, and even at Matterley Basin for the final round. While lifting himself above Liam Everts to claim the bronze medal again, it must have been a frustrating end to the year.
That frustration continued into 2024. For the fifth GP in a row, he won race one but could not convert it to a GP win at the opener in Argentina. With the Nestaan Husqvarna teammates of Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen battling for the title from the outset, Längenfelder was actually unable to clinch a single GP victory all season. He could only add race wins at Trentino, Lommel – proving again that he could deliver on sand – and in Switzerland. His
consistency, scoring top ten in every race apart from a crash that broke his collarbone in the mud of Portugal, kept him third in the series again, but there was still a question mark over the 20-year-old’s ability to battle for a title, despite the amazing toughness he had shown by riding through the pain following that collarbone surgery.
The early season build-up for 2025 had seen a lot of focus on the Coenen brothers, who were joining the German under the De Carli awning as it returned to KTM colours. Lucas was not to be a rival anymore, however, as he was replacing Jorge Prado by taking on MXGP, but Simon still had to contend with reigning Champion De Wolf, who was still seething from a brutal incident between the two in Türkiye. Andrea Adamo looked stronger again, and Liam Everts was surprisingly fast in his return from his Chinese back injury. Sacha Coenen, as always, was fast off the start and had begun to stay on more, as evidenced by his second race victory in Argentina.
For his own part, Simon had featured in the first episode of Behind The Gate 2025, and it was very clear that he was determined to shake off this tag of “Mr. Third Place”. Gone was the slightly goofy “pleased to be here” grin of previous years, and his Bavarian jaw looked set towards turning bronze into gold. Only compatriot Larissa Papenmeier (2018-20, WMX) and Dutch legend Kees van der Ven (1981-83, 250cc, with another in the 1984 125cc series) had also taken bronze medals in three consecutive years, and for sure Längenfelder wanted to break their trends of never getting to the very top of a title chase. To this end, he had changed his race number from his old EMX tag of 516, into a very stylish #27, echoing the birth date for both himself and his lovely partner Malin, as well as the date of that first GP win in England.
It was all looking good in the second Argentine race at Córdoba as he closed in on the overall win with a 2-2, until the heat appeared to overwhelm him! He slumped to the ground twice in the final laps and finished an exhausted sixth, dropping to third overall. The following few rounds were underwhelming, with a race win at St Jean d’Angely and a Quali win in Sardegna the only highlights as De Wolf seemed to be easing away from everybody.
That all changed with a smoking 1-1 display at Frauenfeld, Simon’s second GP win at the circuit and one where he only saw lapped riders in front of him for the whole day, taking both Fox Holeshot Awards and closing to within three points of the reigning Champ. This was the Längenfelder that his team had been hoping for, and although Adamo was also close, the German had put himself forward as the main challenger to De Wolf.
A bar-banging battle between the two followed in the mud of Portugal, where they scored equal points, but it was in France where things started to unravel for the Husqvarna man. A crash in the Qualifying Race had left the Dutchman with a shoulder injury, and suddenly
the German was wearing the red plate for the first time since that 2022 British win, right into his home GP at Teutschenthal!
Simon has never been his best at his home GP, although the Czech round at Loket is geographically closer to his home town of Hof, and he lost the red plate to Adamo after a muddy weekend, but a steady ride in Latvia took it back! Again though, there were question marks, as a last lap crash cost the German the GP win, but a perfect weekend at his old favourite Matterley followed to leave him with a suddenly massive gap of 52 points over Adamo, with De Wolf another 18 back! Now the real mental test would come – could Simon hold back a charging Kay, especially with the big sand races of Finland, Flanders, and the Netherlands still to come?
While the 2024 Champ predictably won all six races in the soft stuff, with the KTM man averaging just sixth place through them all, Längenfelder brilliantly countered each sand GP with overall victories in the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Türkiye. Even so, with just the heat of China and Australia to come, and the memory of his issues in Argentina still fresh, the 12-point gap between the leading pair looked ominous for the German.
Crashes for De Wolf at Shanghai extended that gap to 16, as Adamo officially exited the title race, but a last lap pass by the Italian had cost Simon three points, and there was a worry as to how important those points would be!
The two contenders were never in the same airspace on Saturday in Australia as De Wolf closed in by a further three points, but starting together in Sunday’s opening race saw a foreshadow of what was to come, as the Dutchman dived inside his rival on the opening lap, with the German brilliantly countering the assault to stretch away, proceeding to lead for seven laps before the inevitable happened, in brutal fashion! The pair collided, with the red plate holder coming off worse, but with such a distance over third place that he was lucky to be able to remount and take second. One race to go, and with a ten-point gap it was clear that De Wolf would need to attack early!
He did exactly that, and at the end of the first lap the pair made contact again, and once more Längenfelder was on the ground! With his teammate Coenen out front after another blazing Holeshot, Simon remounted as the rain hit in biblical fashion, suddenly transforming the lush red soil into an absolute quagmire. Stumbling in an unexpectedly deep corner, the German crashed again from sixth place, getting back up in 11th and looking in big trouble as Kay closed in on Sacha!
Suddenly, the #1 Husqvarna seemed to be slowing, as puddles were building everywhere! He wasn’t alone, as many others started to splutter to a halt, engines drowning in all directions. With Längenfelder recovering
to sixth, De Wolf needed to win, but he couldn’t close on Coenen, and finally, on the very corner where he had put his rival on the floor, the Dutchman’s bike cried enough, forcing him to push it through, stuttering on for a few more turns before finally stopping completely! Two laps later the race was called off, and on countback De Wolf was credited with fifth place, remarkably giving him the GP victory, but the title was Längenfelder’s after a brave recovery from his early issues!
It was a brilliant season-long performance for the first German World Champion since Ken Roczen in 2011, and a genuine victory for the quiet man who has always gone about his work in a no-nonsense, methodical fashion. In a Motocross world where the sand demons tend to be triumphant, here was a big win for the hardpack specialist, for a rider who is silky smooth with sublime throttle control when the going gets slick. The future will hold many challenges for the likeable German in the years to come, but he will always be able to enjoy the memory of a season where he silenced the critics to become a regular GP winner, and the 2025 World Champion in MX2! Prost, Herr Längenfelder!
RIDER PROFILE
Name: Simon Längenfelder
Date of Birth: 27th April 2004
Nationality: German
Team: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
CAREER STATS
Grand Prix Wins: 9
Race Wins: 22
Podiums: 38
MX2 World Champion: 2025
2025 STATS
Grand Prix Wins: 6
Race Wins: 10
Qualifying Race Wins: 3
Pole Positions: 4
Podiums: 12
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• 2019 125cc German Masters Junior Champion
• 2019 125cc World Junior Championship, 4th Position
• 2019 EMX125 European Championship, 3rd position
• 2022 MX2 World Championship – 3rd
• 2022 MX2 Italian International Championship –2nd
• 2023 MX2 World Championship – 3rd
• 2024 MX2 World Championship – 3rd
• 2024 MX2 Italian International Champion
• 2025 MX2 World Champion
STILL THE TEENAGE QUEEN OF MOTOCROSS
THEY SAY THAT DEFENDING A WORLD TITLE CAN BE TWICE AS HARD AS WINNING IT, AS “THE WEIGHT OF THE PLATE”, THE PRESSURE AND EXPECTATION OF HOLDING THAT STATUS, ADDS TO THE SUDDEN TARGET ON THE BACK OF THE CHAMPION AS OTHER RACERS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE.
Picking up a significant injury while preparing for a first title defence will add even more strain to an already strenuous situation.
In her short but massively successful career, Lotte van Drunen has risen to the status of World Champion long before her 18th birthday, and she is part of a new wave of talent that is raising the status of Women’s Motocross. However, she has never been quite so savagely tested as in the aftermath of her first world title, and the immediate season as defending Champion. Fighting through that adversity to retain her title must make the 2025 Gold Medal all the more precious amongst her growing collection.
For anybody still wondering, Lotte is not from the same Van Drunen family as former GP rider Marcel, or his EMX-level son Jayson. Her first success in international competition was winning races in the 2018 EMX65 qualifiers, against current EMX250 rider Bradley Meisters, and finishing tenth in her first EMX65 finals. In 2021, she was the top qualifier from the EMX85 North-West group, taking third overall, ahead of current EMX250 rider Gyan Doensen, in the Sardegna finale.
After taking to EMX125 briefly as her male competitors got inevitably stronger and faster, Lotte turned 15 in August 2022 and immediately signed up to race the WMX finale in Türkiye. Two seventh places, still on a 125cc bike, were impressive enough to earn a Kawasaki ride for 2023, and she spent the winter adapting to the 250cc four-stroke machine.
Lotte instantly shot to the top with an outstanding first race win at her first WMX race on the four-stroke, in her favoured sandy terrain at Riola Sardo in Sardegna. From Holeshot to chequered flag, she controlled the first race with ease, before a mid-pack start in the second race forced her to fight through into third place, enough for second overall.
Battling with four-time Champion Courtney Duncan and fellow teenage tearaway Daniela Guillen, Lotte was consistently in the top three in her first full season and scored a glorious double race victory on home sand at Arnhem, her first overall Grand Prix win. Third in the series was just reward for her efforts, and she signed a multi-year contract with Yamaha to set herself up for 2024 and beyond.
That 2024 season saw her battle with Guillen through the first few rounds, but steadily ease away, even in Daniela’s second home GP in Spain. A thumping double victory for the self-styled “Queen of Sand” at home in the Netherlands left Lotte with a massive gap to defend in the final round, and she held fast to become a World Champion for the first time!
From there, enjoying some time in the USA as preparation for her first title defence, she suffered a
painful crash at a test track in Georgia, breaking her right ankle in three places and putting an entirely different look on her winter programme. It took her seven weeks to be able to walk and cycle again, and over two months to get back on a dirt bike.
Two further months of dedicated training saw her ready to take on the opening round, mercifully for her at the MXGP of Sardegna, a venue where she has lost just one race across the three GPs she has contested in the deep sand. Another double win was obviously massively emotional, and with crashes for her expected chief rival Guillen, it gave Van Drunen a serious head start towards her second title. The Spaniard came away with 23 points less than the Dutch heroine, while six-time Champ Kiara Fontanesi sat 17 points off the pace. Both scores would become significant.
Still far from her best on hard pack, Lotte fought through from poor starts at Lugo in north-western Spain, while Fontanesi battled through a race two downpour to snatch a home GP win away from Guillen. With Van Drunen scoring a 5-2, the podium was vital, but it was clear that the record former Champ was to be a serious challenger for the 2025 crown. That was backed up at round three in Germany, which Kiara again won to level Courtney Duncan for the all-time WMX win record. The New Zealander was sadly out of 2025 with health issues, and hopefully we will see her return in 2026. Lotte’s second race win at Teutschenthal prevented the Italian from levelling the series, and the first half of the season ended with just a six-point margin between the teenager and the mother-of-two!
Lotte was expected to clean up at her home GP, but another below-par start left her with too much to do in race two, losing the overall GP to Guillen in her first ever WMX defeat in her native land! Fortunately for her, Fontanesi had an even worse start and lost 14 points across the weekend, leaving a 20-point gap between the pair, with Guillen just one further back!
In a fascinating mirror of the veteran-versusteenager battle in MXGP, Fontanesi was determined to become the first mother to ever win a world Motocross title, and did all she could with a recordsetting GP victory on the hardpack of Türkiye. She was unable to hold back Guillen in race one, however, but the pursuers both made points on Van Drunen, who finished off the podium, behind Norwegian flyer Martine Hughes, for the only time all season after more mediocre starts! A five-point penalty for both GASGAS riders due to yellow flag infringements took the sting out of the tale, and a 16-point buffer looked tough to overcome, despite a host of Australian talent lined up to race at the final round in Darwin!
Once more, Guillen and Fontanesi shared the top two positions in both races, and Australian contenders Charli Cannon and Taylah McCutcheon looked like possible key players, but Lotte made
sure of the situation to take third in race one. This left her needing just seventh place in race two, and after cutting inside Fontanesi to claim a final race Holeshot, Van Drunen bravely battled with both of her main rivals before bringing it home safely in fourth, securing the title by just seven points over the Italian legend!
In the history of WMX, the great Champions of Stephanie Laier, Kiara Fontanesi and Courtney Duncan have all taken three titles in successive years, and two of those riders are likely to try and prevent the latest Champion from doing the same! Guillen is another young contender eager for glory, so although Lotte van Drunen has age on her side as she reaches for the records in her career to come, there will be plenty of competition for her to deal with. For now though, the youngest double World Champion in the history of the sport, male or female, will aim for a somewhat less painful winter before she tries to become the first teenager ever to become a triple World Motocross Champion!
RIDER PROFILE
Name: Lotte van Drunen
Date of Birth: 9th August 2007
Place of birth: Gorinchem, The Netherlands
Racing Number: 401
Nationality: Dutch
Team: De Baets Yamaha MX-Team
FIRST ROUND RACED: MXGP of Türkiye 2022.
CAREER STATS
Overall Victories: 5
Podiums: 13
Race Wins: 13
Top 3 Race Finishes: 24
WMX World Champion: 2024-25
2025 STATS
Overal Victories: 1
Podiums: 5
Race Wins: 4
Top 3 Race Finishes: 9
Pole Positions: 1
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• 2018 65cc World Junior Championship, 4th Position
• 2019 65cc World Junior Championship, 3rd Position
• 2019 EMX125 European Championship, 3rd position
• 2021 EMX85 Championship Finale – 3rd
• 2023 WMX World Championship – 3rd
• 2024 WMX World Champion
• 2025 WMX World Champion
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VIALLE IS BACK
TOM VIALLE RETURNS TO EUROPE A VERY DIFFERENT RIDER FROM THE ONE WHO LEFT. AFTER THREE DEMANDING SEASONS OF SUPERCROSS IN THE UNITED STATES, THE DOUBLE MX2 WORLD CHAMPION AND 2-TIME AMA SUPERCROSS CHAMPION IS STEPPING INTO THE MXGP PREMIERE CLASS ON A 450 AND IN BRAND-NEW COLORS. HAVING SWITCHED FROM KTM TO HONDA, VIALLE HAS ALREADY GIVEN FANS AN EARLY PREVIEW OF THIS NEXT CHAPTER WITH A CONFIDENT PERFORMANCE AT THE PARIS SUPERCROSS. IN THIS EPISODE, HE REFLECTS ON HIS TIME IN AMERICA, WHY THE MOMENT FELT RIGHT TO COME HOME AND ABOUT THE PREPARATIONS FOR HIS FIRST FULL SEASON IN MXGP. SHARPER, MORE EXPERIENCED AND HUNGRY FOR THE CHALLENGE, VIALLE IS READY TO BEGIN THIS NEW ERA.
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TIM GAJSER 2016 HONDA CRF450RW
TIM GAJSER’S RISE TO STARDOM WAS RAPID, WINNING EMX AND JWC TITLES IN 65CC, 85CC AND 125CC BEFORE TURNING PRO IN 2014. AFTER PLACING 5TH IN MX2 IN 2014, GAJSER CLAIMED HIS FIRST WORLD TITLE THE FOLLOWING YEAR RACING FOR HONDA GARIBOLDI, AND BEFORE THE CELEBRATIONS HAD EVEN ENDED, HIS DECISION TO RACE IN MXGP THE FOLLOWING YEAR WAS MET WITH CONFUSION BY THE MASSES. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT THOUGH CAUGHT US ALL OFF-GUARD, AS HE NOT ONLY SWEPT TO HIS SECOND CONSECUTIVE WORLD TITLE, HIS FIRST IN MXGP, BUT HE ALSO JOINED A VERY SHORT LIST OF RIDERS WHO HAD GONE BACKTO-BACK IN DIFFERENT CLASSES.
So, in this issue of MXGP Magazine, we will take a closer look at the 2016 Honda CRF450RW which took Tim Gajser to his first premier class world championship.
Prior to his debut season in MXGP in 2016, we’d not really seen too much of Tim Gajser riding a 450cc, apart from his two outings for team Slovenia at the MXoN in Latvia (2014) and France (2015) riding pretty much stock machinery. Neither ended well though, with both outings leaving him injured and unable to race. Whilst Tim’s move to MXGP came as a shock to many, for Tim the journey had already been a long time in the making, as he recalls:
‘I was always training with the 450cc since I started racing a 250cc, so basically my first year was 2013. When I switched to 250’s, I was training with a 350cc back then because KTM had a 350cc bike, so more or less I did all trainings on the bigger bike. It was the same when I switched to Honda – 2014/’15, more or less all the winter –even between the races during the week – I was practicing with the 450cc so when I switched to MXGP class in 2016, I hadn’t done a lot of races on the bike, but I knew the bike already quite well from practicing on it quite much.’
When Tim won the MX2 World Championship it was Honda’s first title in MX2 since the class was created in 2004. It was also Honda’s first title in
the smaller capacity class since Alessandro Puzar was victorious in the 125cc class in 1995, so in short, this title from the mighty Honda was long overdue. On that basis, it came as no surprise that Honda wanted Tim to remain in the class to defend the title, but as Tim reflects, it didn’t take long to convince the powers that be, that moving to MXGP, was a step in the right direction.
‘We went to Japan (at the end of 2015) because Honda wanted me to stay in MX2 to defend the title; we all know back then that the 250cc Honda was maybe not the strongest bike out there, so I wanted to go up. In Japan, I tried the bike from Gautier Paulin; he was racing that year (in the factory team) with Bobryshev, and then actually after that we decided to go in MXGP for the next season.’
‘The factory bike was way more powerful you know, and even how the power was delivered was super nice, so I fell in love immediately with the 450cc bike, and when you set it up for yourself, then I felt even more comfortable so yeah, I was really happy.’
Tim’s preference for a more powerful bike was surprising, especially since he was coming from the 250cc, but the nineteen-year-old was more than confident in his set-up, as he explains:
‘Back then I was riding a really aggressive bike. I liked a lot the bottom and even the mid to top; I liked the bike to rev that first year; I remember that the bike was really powerful, and sometimes I was just hanging on the bike. Back in ’16 I was still young and I just hit every bump, hard, so yeah, the bike was really powerful back then.’
Roger Shenton, HRC’s Technical Co-ordinator, who worked closely with Tim in his debut MXGP season, reminded us that the 2016 bike was a full HRC factory machine, which included the cylinder, head, ignition and crankshaft. Rims were factory D.I.D which were married to HRC hubs, complete with factory nipples and spokes and as for carbon parts, disc covers, skid plate and larger fuel tank for sand races was how the team rolled.
HE ALSO JOINED A VERY SHORT LIST OF RIDERS WHO HAD GONE BACK-TO-BACK IN DIFFERENT CLASSES.
The bike was a revised version of what Bobby and Paulin had been using in 2015, with a few Gajser tweaks here and there for his own comfort. The Showa suspension was factory, with the forks being 49mm air fork – which as Roger Shenton says, ‘we’d already been using these for a couple of years now.’
As for overall set up, according to Roger, ‘Tim didn’t really do much between hard pack and sand set-up, only a few click adjustments, but generally we didn’t change too much during the 2016 season; we did have a little bit of a positional parts change, where the off-set triple clamp was different and also the bar-mount for sand, we would bring the handlebars a little bit further back towards the rider, so he could get over the back of the bike more.’
‘Foot pegs were factory HRC titanium parts – the position based on Bobby’s settings rather than Paulin. Paulin’s pegs were a little taller and set further back and lower down, so we based Tim’s settings on Bobby’s peg set up.
‘Brakes were factory Nissin with a 260mm front disc, foot pegs were titanium, swingarm was standard but with factory linkage. On the engine side, from what I remember, the transmission was quite similar in the beginning, we were using a Rekluse Clutch and of course with Tim, we never had a rider use a clutch like he did (at that time) so, Tim jumping from 250cc to 450cc this was
a big learning curve for all of us, regarding that area.’
And this ‘learning curve’ reared its ugly head in the pre-season races, starting in Alghero, Sardinia, where Tim failed to finish one of the races due to his over-use of the clutch. Shenton picks up the story:
‘Conditions were quite deep sand, so at that moment it was kind of our first look at Tim in race-conditions on the 45cc0, and we were struggling a little bit with the clutch situation, and that was quite an eye opener. It was a good lesson (test) to understand at that moment because it kind of opened all our eyes to say okay, we need to do something here, because this is part of the bike that we are going to struggle with. So, we acted on that in different ways, different variations of the working of the engine, but it was a good test and like I say, after that, we worked hard to try to solve the problem, to find a solution which was worthwhile in the end. We hadn’t experienced that with Bobby or Paulin to that extent, but after that we worked and found a way.’
‘Hinson helped us quite a lot to help improve in that area, but also, we had more to do from HRC’s side, with transmission set-up and stuff like that but, Tim was very, very hard on the clutch in his first year.’
Along with the many modifications the team made to ease the situation, a new clutch was put into the bike for every session at each GP, which is a lot of clutches when you do the maths.
By the time we got to Qatar for the opening round of the season, all Tim and the team needed to do was focus on just being consistent, but after placing 2nd in the qualifying race on Saturday, which he followed up with 1-1 on Sunday, it was clear that the reigning MX2 World Champion was not just there to make up the numbers. Whilst many were surprised at the result at GP1, including Tim to some extent, he was quietly confident after gauging himself at regular testing sessions with Paulin and Bobryshev, plus pre-season training sessions in Sardinia, and of course, those pre-season races, as Tim recalls:
‘I mean, we were a little bit surprised, but from these tests, and also in Sardinia, more or less all the riders are down there, so when you go to Riola for training, you have also the other GP riders there and then you can compare a little bit, so the speed was always good, you know? I was always one of the fastest guys; we knew I had the speed! In the Quali race I finished 2nd,
and then Sunday races I went 1-1, which was a little bit surprising because for a rookie, the quali races are a little bit shorter 20 + 2, but then Sunday we have two times 30+2 but yeah, I rode really nice, I felt comfortable on the bike and I won my fi rst ever race in MXGP.’
That comfort translated into a run of thirteen consecutive podiums and fifteen race wins, which began in Qatar, and by the time we got to Assen, with three rounds remaining, Tim was in a position mathematically, to wrap up his fi rst MXGP world championship. However, a 12-0 meant that he needed to wait until the USA next time out to get the job done. So, what happened in Holland? Tim fi lls us in:
‘I remember it was quite heavy because it was raining a lot, and that was also like the fi rst race where I had the possibility to be champion, so I remember I was a bit more nervous, but I think the second race I didn’t fi nish because I crashed and I broke the clutch lever and I couldn’t restart because I didn’t have the clutch.’
In Charlotte at the penultimate round, Tim sealed the deal with a 4th place in race one, to become only the sixth different rider to win back-to-back world championships in two different classes. Tim also celebrated this milestone by winning both titles at the age of nineteen.
‘I just felt comfortable, if I remember correctly, we barely changed anything from race to race, so I was feeling good on every kind of track, in every kind of condition. Being a rookie there was not a lot of expectation; okay, when I started to win, when I went back-to-back podiums, back-
to-back wins and all these things, obviously the expectations changed, but for me it was like in the end, if I win the title it was amazing, but even if I don’t win the title it was also good to fi nish top three or something like that in the points standings.
‘At the end of the year, I was just focussed on the goal, was just doing my own races; I remember I had some really nice battles with Tony Cairoli. One of my favourites was Mantova when it was super-hot, also many people were there because Tony was fi ghting for the title, he was Italian, and myself being Slovenian and Mantova being so close to Slovenia, I remember that race was a really nice one. We passed each other quite many times and had a nice battle for fi rst place. I think I was really strong in the mind, and I was believing that I could win and I think that was the key.’
That Mantova battle with Cairoli also remains etched in the memory of Roger Shenton as well, as he recalls:
‘I think winning the championship was an eye-opener to everybody because we weren’t really expecting ‘that’ result at that moment. Of course, throughout the year his battles with Cairoli … I remember the one in Mantova was incredible; very impressive how he handled that. He was still young. We clinched the title in Charlotte which was a special moment; a super special year, unbelievable results, the podiums were coming left, right and centre, race wins. Unbelievable!’
HOLESHOT EVERY START.
When you’re at the starting gate, you need every competitive edge you can get. Developed in the MXGP World Championship, the all-new Dunlop Geomax MX14 gives you holeshotgrabbing traction – with new Reinforced Scoop Technology (RST) to better penetrate and clear loose terrain. A rear tyre built to excel in extreme sand and mud.
PIERrE ALEXANDRE ‘PELA’ RENET
Born on the 2nd of October 1984 in Cherbourg, Pierre Alexandre was only three years old when his parents offered him a Pee Wee 50 Yamaha machine. As his father was racing enduro as an amateur, Pierre Alexandre spent time around tracks in Normandy and rode his bike or raced some BMX events when his father discovered that there were races for kids, so it was natural to see him racing for the first time locally, when he was eight years old. He won straight away, and from that day on he raced more and more.
a long break he had to start again from near zero and it took him until 2001 to get back to his real level, fighting with riders such as Sebastien Pourcel, Antoine Meo or Benjamin Coisy, who all won GPs later in their career. He also started to train in Supercross at this period, and had the opportunity to meet Bruno Losito, a French coach who was also running the NGS Team. With his support he started to have a real physical training program, was able to train during the week when he had no school, and finished runner-up in the 2002 Junior Championship
the a
Moving to the French Elite and European 125cc level in 2003, he fought one year later for the European title with Matti Seistola and Alex Salvini to collect the bronze medal and get a ride at Grands Prix, always with team NGS. He did two seasons in the MX2 class, and then moved in 2007 to the MX1 class which was better suited to his size. After a decent season with an eighth overall at Loket as his best result, Pela finished the MX season on the podium at the Motocross of Nations! With his friends Nicolas Aubin and Sébastien Pourcel the French team surprised many people at Budds Creek in the USA, and after that race Pela signed with the Bodo Schmidt Suzuki team for 2008. Unfortunately, during the Paris Supercross he broke his leg, couldn’t train in winter,
IN THE LONG HISTORY OF OFF ROAD MOTORCYCLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, ONLY ONE RIDER HAS CLAIMED WORLD TITLES SUCCESSIVELY IN BOTH MOTOCROSS AND ENDURO.
RENET WAS EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL IN ENDURO WHERE HE CLINCHED TWO WORLD TITLES AND ALSO WON THE
After winning frequently in his native Normandy, Pela entered some rounds of the popular French Minivert series, where all the best French riders started their career in the 1990s. Fourth in 1996, he unfortunately had a serious injury – to his vertebra – one year later, and after
Creek broke a thumb during the season and finished only twenty-fifth in the standings. Forced to move to the MX3 class in 2009, he finally had a successful season, won five GPs and clinched the world title.
Instead of moving back to the MX1 class in 2010, Pierre Alexandre decided to 2014,
move to Enduro and signed with the French KTM importer. French Champion, winner of the French GP and claiming fourth in the World Championship, Pela became World Champion in 2012 and 2014, won the ISDE three times with the French team, won the ISDE individual classification in 2014
and then moved to Rally Raids in 2016. Seventh in the Dakar in 2017, he had a bad crash during the Atacama Rally and was forced to stop racing after this injury. He started a new career as team manager of the Husqvarna Rally Raid team, and came back a few years later to Motocross as a
team manager. Involved this season with team VHR-VRT Yamaha, he worked with Janis Reisulis, who claimed the EMX250 European
Text & photos: Pascal Haudiquert
5TH IN THE FRENCH 125 JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (YAMAHA)
2002 2ND IN THE FRENCH 125 JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (YAMAHA) 24TH IN THE 125 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 10TH IN THE 125 FRENCH SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
2003 6TH IN THE 125 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP (YAMAHA) 7TH IN THE 125 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 3RD IN THE 125 FRENCH SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
2004 5TH IN THE 125 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP (YAMAHA) 3RD IN THE 125 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 4TH IN THE 125 FRENCH SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
2005 6TH IN THE 125 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP (YAMAHA) 23RD IN THE MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
2006 4TH IN THE MX2 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP (YAMAHA) 19TH IN THE MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
19TH IN THE MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
2007 3RD IN THE MX1 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP (HONDA) 17TH IN THE MX1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2ND WITH THE FRENCH TEAM AT THE MX OF NATIONS
2008 25TH IN THE MX1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (SUZUKI)
2009 7TH IN THE MX1 FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP (SUZUKI) MX3 WORLD CHAMPION. WINNER OF 5 GPS
2010 ENDURO FRENCH CHAMPION (KTM) 4TH IN THE ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
2012
ENDURO E2 WORLD CHAMPION (HUSABERG) WINNER OF THE ISDE WITH TEAM FRANCE
2011 4TH IN THE ENDURO E2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (HUSABERG)
2013 2ND IN THE ENDURO E2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (HUSABERG) WINNER OF THE ISDE WITH TEAM FRANCE
2014
2015 3RD IN THE ENDURO E2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (HUSQVARNA) this title.
ENDURO E2 WORLD CHAMPION (HUSQVARNA) WINNER OF THE ISDE WITH TEAM FRANCE INDIVIDUAL WINNER AT THE ISDE
1 Drew Stock (125cc), Leo Gajser (85cc) and Tymon Andrzejewski (65cc) are the 2025 YZ BLU CRU FIM Europe Cup winners and will receive Yamaha Motor Europe support in 2026.
2 Andrea Adamo moves up to the premier class in 2025, with the 2023 MX2 World Champion set to face seven other World Champions.
3 Romain Febvre, 2025 MXGP World Champion, was celebrated in Japan with a visit to Kawasaki’s Kobe offices and Akashi factory alongside team manager Antti Pyrhönen.
4 Two-time MX2 World Champion
Tom Vialle has signed a multiyear deal with Honda HRC to compete in the MXGP class.
5 Yamaha Motor Europe has confirmed Karlis Reisulis and 2025 EMX250 Champion Janis Reisulis as its 2026 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 riders.
6 Ducati opens a new chapter with Louis Vosters, running the official MXGP team and fielding three Desmo450 MX bikes for Seewer, Bonacorsi and Vlaanderen.
7 Cas Valk signs a two-year deal with TM Moto for MX2, while his sister Lynn Valk joins the brand for their first official WMX entry.
